most of earth's landmass is in the northern hemisphere. how might this influence Earth's overall albedo during
a)June
b)January
I really don't get this question.
Doesn't water absorb heat, and land reflects (reradiates) a lot of heat?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albedo
and during summer (which hemisphere is facing the sun?) During Winter?
To understand how the landmass distribution in the northern hemisphere might influence Earth's overall albedo during different months, let's start by understanding what albedo means.
Albedo refers to the measure of the reflectivity of a surface. A higher albedo means that a surface reflects a greater amount of sunlight, while a lower albedo means that the surface absorbs more sunlight. The Earth's overall albedo is essentially the average reflectivity of the entire planet.
Now, let's consider the landmass distribution in the northern hemisphere and its potential influence on Earth's albedo during different months:
a) June:
In June, the northern hemisphere is experiencing summer, while the southern hemisphere is in winter. The tilt of the Earth's axis causes the northern hemisphere to be tilted towards the Sun, resulting in longer daylight hours and more direct sunlight. As a result, the landmass in the northern hemisphere, which is predominantly located in the mid-latitudes and higher latitudes, receives more sunlight.
Land surfaces generally have a lower albedo compared to water bodies (like oceans and seas). Therefore, during June, when the landmass in the northern hemisphere receives more direct sunlight, the overall albedo of Earth may decrease. This is because the land surfaces reflect less sunlight compared to water bodies, leading to a lower average reflectivity of the planet.
b) January:
In January, the situation is reversed, with the northern hemisphere in winter and the southern hemisphere experiencing summer. The tilt of the Earth's axis causes the northern hemisphere to be tilted away from the Sun, resulting in shorter daylight hours and less direct sunlight. During this time, the landmass in the northern hemisphere receives less direct sunlight compared to the southern hemisphere, which has a higher ratio of water bodies.
Consequently, in January, the landmass in the northern hemisphere reflects more sunlight compared to the southern hemisphere, where the water bodies have a higher albedo. This difference in albedo between the two hemispheres can lead to a higher overall albedo for Earth.
In summary, during June, the predominance of landmass in the northern hemisphere with a lower albedo can lead to a decrease in Earth's overall albedo. In contrast, during January, the higher albedo of the landmass in the northern hemisphere, coupled with less direct sunlight, can result in a higher overall albedo for Earth.